Beta Crux is one of the
brightest stars of the night sky and the second of the constellation of Crux. It
is a binary star, however the companion is not possible to resolve with
conventional telescopes. This star is circumpolar and never rises and sets. Its
a blue-white very hot giant and I always use it as a reference to reach The
Jewel Box which lies one degree away. With Beta Crux at the top of your
binoculars you can see the Coal Sack. The reddish star is an 8.8 magnitude star
at only two seconds of Beta Crux. Both stars are not related but companions just
in the visual perspective.